The Sporting News articles from March 2003

The Sporting News archives from March 2003

Don't draft alone. (SportingNews.com).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Fantasy seasons can be made or broken on draft day, and SportingNews.com's Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit is the ideal reference tool to help you be successful in your draft. You can buy the draft kit separately or have it included in your...

Path to glory. (SportingNews Radio).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Follow prospects Ken Dorsey, Mike Doss, Kwame Harris and Dave Ragone from the Combine to draft day and beyond in Sporting News Radio's Draft Diary. Tune in to their visits with SNR hosts or check out the archives at...

Fantasy feast. (SportingNews Books).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... TSN's Fantasy Baseball has all the information you need to draft a winning squad: dollar-value rankings, more than 1,000 player scouting reports, statistical projections and much more. Order your copy online at www.sportingnews.com/books.

To know list: 5 reading tasks that will make your brain stronger than the Black Rhino's chin. (Know It All).
March 3, 2003... (1) NO CLICKING The only place to be Championship Week? In front of your TV We could explain the scope of college basketball's conference tournaments by listing all the things you could do with the time it takes to watch 30...

Bob Hille's starting 5. (Know It All).(Brief Article)(Column)
March 3, 2003... (1) Kobe Bryant. Man, has he been hot or what? Saying he has lifted his game to another level is like saying Jerry Jones has lifted his face to another level. (2) NFL free-agent season. It's the league's version of dating, which...

Show me your picks! (Caught On The Fly).(Column)
March 3, 2003... People from New Orleans think gluttony is good (44-oz. hurricane, anyone?), so even though the Saints already have two first-round picks, well--Laissez les bons temp rouler!--three would be better. The plan is to add a lot of...

2003 NFL Combine participants. (Stock Exchange).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... NFL Insider Dan Pompei relates what the scouts were saying last weekend in Indianapolis. Wisconsin QB Brooks Bollinger. He wasn't considered much of a prospect before the Combine, but after watching Bollinger throw as well as any of the...

Fate seals a team's bond. (My Turn).
March 3, 2003... The unimaginable happened on a wintry January morning earlier this year. An SUV carrying nine Yale students crashed into a jackknifed truck on an icy road. Four of the students died. Two of them were members of my Yale baseball team. The other...

Your turn.(Letter to the Editor)
March 3, 2003... * How did the decision to start early save the Daytona 500? Had NASCAR started the race at the set time, we would have been able to see a complete race on Monday. Gary Brochtrup Appleton, Wis. * Bad news for the Lakers: Kobe Bryant...

It feels like the first time. (Kareem's Comeback).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... It's odd that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is announcing college hoops--and has reclaimed the title of Tallest Network Analyst from Bill Walton, effective with N.C. State-Duke last Saturday on CBS--just now. Kareem's Hall of Fame career ended in...

Please, make it stop. (Know It All).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Seeing acts as diverse as Bruce Springsteen, Avril Lavigne, Nelly, Eminem and Coldplay performing at Sunday's Grammys prompted us to go through our own eclectic jock-jammed record collection and hand out our own "goods." And you thought Simon...

ABC spells f-a-v-o-r-i-t-i-s-m. (Static).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... ABC spells f-a-v-o-r-i-t-i-s-m: Of course ABC gets special treatment from the NFL. The network has Monday Night Football, that sacred cow The League considers more important than the cowhide on its balls. Ergo, this fall's Thursday night season...

The buzz. (Static).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... The buzz: Circumstantial evidence nothwithstanding (16 promos for the 300th episode of The Simpsons during the telecast!), Fox's fingerprints were not on the decision to call the rain-delayed Daytona 500 after 109 laps, which ensured the...

Vital stat. (Static).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Vital stat: Mike Tyson fights account for eight of the 12 all-time top-grossing pay-per views. (Ahem, Tyson-Clifford Etienne did not make it 9 for 13.)

Do not adjust your set. (Static).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Do not adjust your set: Jose Canseco was a guest on Dan Patrick's ESPN Radio show, live from Miami-Dade County jail.

On air. (Know It All).
March 3, 2003... ON AIR James Brown says A good piece of equipment for Phil Mickelson: "Earplugs. Phil needs to shut out all the boo birds and critics who say he can't win the big tournament. His time will come." ...

Go time. (Know It All).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Almost as impressive as Henry Ford starting a car company, introducing the moving assembly line and playing defensive tackle for the Titans is Matt Suhey's versatility. First he was the Bears' fullback for 10 years; now he's a sensation in...

The way to win. (Know It All).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Whether it's time to draft your fantasy team or time to successfully run that team, now is the right time to go to the place that helps you dominate your league--the new and improved Ultimate Fantasy Source, available at...

NBA Immovable object: quick, versatile types have taken over the game, but Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal remains an old-school fixture at the top of our list of the 25 best players as chosen by general managers. (NBA).
March 3, 2003... Someday, in the near future, the NBA will play a brand of basketball that almost completely leaves the traditional back-to-the-basket center out of the mix. As 7-footers are plucked from the ranks of high school, Europe and, heck, even...

A game of beat the clock: when a 35-second possession ticks toward zero, teams scramble to salvage a scoring opportunity--while deftly executing a plan, course. (College Basketball).
March 3, 2003... With less than 2 minutes remaining and Georgia ahead by nine, the moment has arrived for the Bulldogs to kill as much of the 35-second clock as possible--and, in the process, drain the remaining life from Alabama. Georgia has done just about...

Depth wish: although this free-agent class is short on big-name talent, there are plenty of mid-level players available for smart shoppers trying to stock their rosters to championship specs. (NFL: free-agent preview).
March 3, 2003... You want lots of impact? You're out of luck, but that doesn't mean teams will find barren shelves in this year's free-agent market. Go. Stock up. You may not find your dream product, but there is plenty available to satisfy what you need....

Weighing the past against the future. (NFL: free-agent preview).
March 3, 2003... When the free-agent market begins this week, it's likely no available player provided more value to his 2002 team than Eagles defensive end Hugh Douglas. So, a fan from the 700 level of Veterans Stadium might ask: What kind of...

Free-agent preview. (NFL).
March 3, 2003... ARIZONA CARDINALS CAP STATUS: Few teams have a better situation. Few teams have as many needs. At $36.2 million under the salary cap, the club has room to be active on the market. OUT ROUTE: The team would like to re-sign QB Jake...

The total package: toting a potent combination of talent, youth, know-how and hunger to win, Kurt Busch returns home to Las Vegas this week on the cusp of dominating Winston Cup racing. (NASCAR).
March 3, 2003... Pay close attention to the young driver sliding effortlessly through the window of his Winston Cup car, baseball cap already snug on his head as he exits the machine. Kurt Busch looks fresh, confident and satisfied, and he should after...

Movers and shakers: the trading deadline looms, and these players could be relocating and jolting their new teams into the playoffs. (NHL).
March 3, 2003... The rumor mill is going at top speed as the March 11 trading deadline nears. Will there be a rash of deals? It's wait and see, with wait being the key word. "The big question is how much separation (in the standings) there is on March 10,"...

A steady hand needs steady work. (NASCAR).
March 3, 2003... Who was the busiest man during Speedweeks at Daytona? My nominee is Mike Wallace, who participated in 20 practice sessions, three rounds of time trials and four races. Wallace was the first driver to compete in NASCAR's top three...

TSN 10: the 10 big races to watch this year. (NASCAR).
March 3, 2003... Track Skinny The turns have 12-degree banking, slightly flatter than, say, Charlotte and Kansas, which the track resembles in shape. Though they are banked the same, Turns 2 and 4 have subtle differences, and drivers must be wary of that....

With Payton, Karl can lose the snarl. (NBA).(Gary Payton, George Karl)
March 3, 2003... Bucks kahuna George Karl always has been one of the league's grumpiest coaches, hut even he had been feeling a bit bluer than usual lately, suffering from a lack of fulfillment at work that dales back about a year. Such a funk is a natural...

Little things make a difference. (Courtside Matters).
March 3, 2003... For most fans, every stat that matters can be pulled out of the standard box score. From minutes played to points scored to the names of the refs, it all can be found in those few inches of column space in your morning newspaper. For...

Eastern conference. (NBA).
March 3, 2003... Atlantic Division BOSTON CELTICS G.M. Chris Wallace didn't necessarily want to trade Shammond Williams and leave the team with only two point guards for the rest of the season, but that was the only way to fortify the front line with F/C...

Western conference. (NBA).
March 3, 2003... Midwest Division DALLAS MAVERICKS The team considered trading PG Nick Van Exel for Heat PF Brian Grant but backed off for financial reasons--Grant is owed $55 million the next four seasons, and because the Mavs are over the luxury-tax...

Reconfigured Ducks are figuring it out. (NHL).
March 3, 2003... When it comes to red-hot scoring lines, the Avalanche's Alex Tanguay, Peter Forsberg and Milan Hejduk get most of the attention. But there's another trio a little further west that is lighting things up these days. No, it's not the Canucks'...

What the players talk about. (Straight Shooter).
March 3, 2003... Before every game, we talk about our assignments, our responsibilities and positionally where we need to be. On every team I've played on, our strategies on special teams--power play and penalty killing--have always been addressed before games....

How do you feel? (TSNumber 33).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... You're one of the best players in the history of the game, if not the best. You came out of retirement to much fanfare, partly to save your beloved franchise and partly to gain back big bucks you are owed. Your return has been a personal...

Owen Nolan, RW, Sharks. (Scouting Report).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... 6-1, 210 Age: 31 Nolan, the Nordiques' first pick (first overall) in 1990, appears to have worn out his welcome in San Jose. Rumored to be on the trading block, his goal production has dropped significantly since his career-high 44-goal...

Don't worry about the RPI; just win. (College Basketball).
March 3, 2003... For all the consternation generated by the Ratings Percentage Index, its enemies should remember there are more ominous ways to rearrange the letters that form its handy acronym. Given the choice between RPI and RIP, I know which one to choose....

Player of the week. (College Basketball).
March 3, 2003... Edward Scott, PG, Clemson The simple explanation for Clemson's surge from a 2-7 ACC start to claiming a road win against Virginia was Edward Scott's brilliance at point guard. Scott scored 32 points, grabbed eight rebounds and held...

The road can be rattling. (Rack To Rack).
March 3, 2003... When the NCAA Tournament starts, there will not be any talk of which teams are "struggling" on the road. By then it will be a most point--but rest assured that "road resumes" will be closely scrutinized as the at-large bids are handed out. ...

Conference call. (College Basketball).
March 3, 2003... California: Interior toughness Considering what a heavy league favorite Arizona was at the beginning of the season, Cal couldn't have envisioned a better setup for this Thursday: a chance to beat the Wildcats at home and pull within half a...

This week's spotlight: late-season issues. (College Basketball).
March 3, 2003... Xavier: Playing the point. David West and Romain Sato are enough to make most teams drool, but how senior point guard Lionel Chalmers leads the team will play a big part. In Xavier's postseason run. Chalmers missed seven games with a broken...

No more delays on drug testing. (Baseball).
March 3, 2003... If the players union truly cared about ending drug use in baseball, it wouldn't wait for the toxicology report on Orioles pitching prospect Steve Bechler. It wouldn't require the U.S. government to ban ephedrine. It would attack stimulant and...

The repetitions of spring. (The Closer).(baseball spring training)
March 3, 2003... The repetitions of spring If you take a trip to spring training and come across some pitchers on a back field and they seem to be going crazy, give them a hug and tell them it will be over soon. The slowest week of the year--the days...

Travelin' men. (Baseball).
March 3, 2003... Unless Mike Morgan finds a job or Dennis Cook catches on somewhere, Todd Zeile will be the big leagues' most-traveled player this season. Zeile is on his 10th team, the Yankees, but he's hardly in unfamiliar territory. He's back in New...

Kieschnick takes a two-way road. (Baseball).(baseball player Brooks Kieschnick)
March 3, 2003... Early in spring training, the Brewers' Wes Helms steps into the cage for batting practice, glances out toward the mound and does a double take. Staring back at him is Brooks Kieschnick, whom Helms recalls from the minor leagues as a hitter, not...

A.L. reports. (Baseball).
March 3, 2003... RHP John Lackey feels he can get even better this season and will try to add another pitch to his repertoire. Lackey has a 93-mph fastball, a slider and a curveball. He occasionally threw a changeup last season but did not have enough...

Hot prospects. (Baseball).
March 3, 2003... Bobby Jenks, RHP, Angels Jenks, 22, has a 100-mph fastball, but he still is trying to harness his power. He has shown a lack of maturity that resulted in a demotion from Class AA to Class A last season. He could be ready for the majors by...

N.L. reports. (Baseball).
March 3, 2003... ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS LHP Randy Johnson, who has won the last four N.L. Cy Young Awards and turns 40 in September, says he worked harder than usual on conditioning this offseason. Johnson also may make a slight adjustment to his delivery. A...

Springing toward 2003. (College Football).
March 3, 2003... Looking for news to help thaw from winter? How about this: Texas, among others, already has started spring practice. That means the countdown to the 2003 season has begun. The Longhorns are among the major teams lurking among the top 15...

Ultimate fantasy source. (Fantasy).
March 3, 2003... ROTO RAP DAVID SRINIVASAN Every year, some unheralded relievers go from scrubs to stallions. Last season, Eric Gagne had 52 saves with a 1.97 ERA after a horrid 2001 in L.A.'s rotation. Who could be a surprise this year? There are a...

There's a right way to get a rate increase.(athletes, ephedrine and heart rate)
March 3, 2003... Here's what happens. The stuff makes stuff happen faster. The way God set it up, most times your heart just does what it does. You're along for the ride. Same thing with breathing. Not your job. Some nerves somewhere take care of that. The...

Get the fantasy edge. (SportingNews.Com).(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... SportingNews.com's Ultimate Fantasy Source Baseball is the one-stop online resource for any fantasy player. Customized player tracking and tools give you an edge to help you win your league. Be sure to act now to take advantage of a $2 discount...

The road to draft day. (SportingNews.Radio).(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... Sitting down at your computer? Log on to http://radio. sportingnews.com/nfl/ 2003draftdiary for draft diaries from NFL Draft prospects Mike Doss, Ken Dorsey, Dave Ragone and Kwame Harris. Sitting in front of your radio? Tune in to the James...

Summer dreaming. (SportingNews.Books).(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... Get ready for the big-league season with TSN's baseball preview magazine. It features in-depth reports on all 30 teams, including rosters, lineups, schedules, ticket information and more. Order your copy online at www.sportingnews.com/books.

To know list: 6 shots of wisdom to help you pitch that perfect game. (Know It All).
March 10, 2003... (1) TAKE THE PLUNGE You can have a fantasy life and free time, too So you think you know baseball, huh, big boy? You think you know it better--maybe even a lot better--than your loud-talkin' buds who double-dare you to doubt their...

Bob Hille's starting 5. (Know It All).(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... (1) NASCAR in Vegas. I was OK with the concept until they started the race by dropping the Shecky Greene flag. (2) Emmitt Smith. He's no longer associated with the Cowboys, which, by the way, puts him in the company of "winning"...

Caught on the fly: welcome to COTF, a rush-the-court-because-you-just-beat-a-mediocre-team-free zone).
March 10, 2003... Chow for Yao Before the Rockets-Celtics game last week in Boston, chef Ming Tsai, host of the Food Networks East Meets West, met Yao Ming at the FleetCenter and gave Yao a bag full of delectable items, including a specially prepared Peking...

Diversity is about success, not process. (My Turn).
March 10, 2003... My dad was one of the wisest and hardest-working men I ever knew. When I was a child growing up in Eufaula, Okla., he held several jobs to support his family of six children--usually more than one job at a time. He farmed some land,...

Repackaged goods. (Know It All).(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... In the event of war in Iraq, CBS news coverage could pre-empt the NCAA Tournament, which would move to Viacom's other channels--first TNN and then, perhaps, even MTV and VH1. Viacom would have several gnarly complications to resolve in order to...

Morning edition. (Know It All).(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... Headlines you won't see in the week to come Vitale admits to taking annoyance-enhancing drugs NBA players admit you don't have to read to achieve Emmitt Smith to stop picking Cowboys in Madden 2003 Dunleavy Jr.'s next offseason...

The new soft sell. (Static).(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... * The new soft sell: Back when big-league outfield walls were plain, commercial breaks were the only evidence of TV commerce. Today, revenue generators abound: ESPN's Capital One Bowl Week (an example of "umbrella sponsorship"); the...

The buzz. (Static).(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... * The buzz: Roy Jones Jr. was guaranteed $10 million for his fight with John Ruiz. Any surprise he blew off a TV Guide cover shoot hyping the $49.95 pay-per-view event?

Vital stats. (Static).(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... * Vital stats: NBATV is in 18 million satellite-dish homes and zero on cable, after the NBA pulled it to renegotiate with operators.

Soundbitten. (Static).(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... * Soundbitten: "Screw the league. This is the basketball we're looking for."--David Letterman, on Reggie Miller's claim that the NBA frowns on physical play.

Do not adjust your set. (Static).(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... * Do not adjust your set: To appease the NCAA, CBS announced its SportsLine.com is divesting itself of all connections to gambling sites... which CBS had denied existed.

On air.
March 10, 2003... Bob Berger says: "Mike Tyson knocked out a guy in less than a minute, so there are millions of suckers who think he can beat Lennox Lewis. He probably can take out Emmanuel Lewis, but not Lennox Lewis." ...

Take me out: a play worth extra bases.(Theater Review)
March 10, 2003... When Daniel Sunjata spits, digs in and wiggles his bat, it's easy to forget he's an actor on Broadway, not the next Ken Griffey Jr. Sunjata plays Darren Lemming, the New York Empires center fielder who announces he's gay in Richard Greenberg's...

In focus: Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki's mental preparation is as big a part of his game as his blazing speed and powerful throwing arm. (Baseball).
March 10, 2003... Tigers first baseman Carlos Pena had a hunch about Ichiro Suzuki. Pena didn't think the Mariners right fielder was as tense on the field as his often-steely face might otherwise indicate. Pena was building his theory on some casual observations...

Roll tape: quarterback Carson Palmer, expected to be the No. 1 pick in the draft, sits down with Ron Jaworski to learn how to watch film. (NFL).
March 10, 2003... The linebackers are moving forward and backward before the snap. But the red dot of the laser is on the cornerbacks, who are standing still. "Those (linebackers) are playing games, but as you study tape, you know with the way these corners are...

One bad turn ... resembles another. Casey Atwood and Jimmy Spencer, at vastly different points in their career, couldn't answer opportunity's knock. (NASCAR).
March 10, 2003... Two years ago, Casey Atwood was riding the crest of a Winston Cup wave, a 20-year-old kid trying to stay atop a mini-tsunami notorious for swallowing everything in its path. As the next Boy Wonder, the next NASCAR It Boy, plucked from the...

Greater than his parts: an engineer couldn't design a better point guard than Texas'. (College Basketball).
March 10, 2003... Terrance Jerod Ford has gone by "T.J." since his mom, Mary, started calling him that right after his birth. But it's just as likely these days that he'll get referred to by other initials--"Why, that little S.O.B...."--by opposing players and...

Fresh air: after falling short of a title for three years with the same, old players, the Spurs have had life pumped into their winded offense by three energetic youngters. (NBA).
March 10, 2003... Manu Ginobili has the ball in his hands, an open floor in front of him and what appears to be a clear path to the basket. But no sooner does Ginobili start racing down court than Pacers point guard Jamaal Tinsley appears in front of him. ...

Goalies unmasked: a recent round table of puck-stopping legends on Hockey Night in Canada shed new light on the men who play the sport's toughest positions. (NHL).(Interview)
March 10, 2003... Never before had there been such a gathering of legends. Sitting at the same table one February day on Hockey Night in Canada were some of the finest goaltenders ever to strap on the pads: Ken Dryden. Patrick Roy Grant Fuhr. Martin Brodeur....

Together again--and better. (NASCAR).
March 10, 2003... From different locales in North Carolina and from different points on Winston Cup racing's time line, they shared a dream. Dale Jarrett, Brad Parrott, Todd Parrott and Doug Yates watched their fathers become heroes among NASCAR's elite. In...

How are teams adjusting to early-season changes? (NASCAR).
March 10, 2003... Mark Martin 6 A big advantage for Martin is that his crew returns intact from last year's runner-up finish in points. Still, the team has to concern itself with the Taurus' new body style. Crew chief Ben Leslie had to hang 15 new...

Get with the program--or get beat. (NFL).
March 10, 2003... During his first team meeting as coach of the Jets in 1997, Bill Parcells seized his players' attention by holding aloft a thick three-ring binder. It was not a playbook It was the team's injury report from the '96 season, when the Jets went...

AFC. (NFL).
March 10, 2003... BALTIMORE RAVENS LINE STRENGTH: The signing of LG Edwin Mulitalo, an effective run blocker, to a seven-year, $15.5 million deal cements the left side of the line for several years. Mulitalo will continue to team with Pro Bowl LT Jonathan...

NFC. (NFL).
March 10, 2003... ARIZONA CARDINALS ANOTHER HEED: The release of C Mike Gruttadauria only adds to the team's needs. Though Jason Starkey played decently last season when Gruttadauria was out and Chris Dishman also has experience at the position, the team...

The dislocation of Kansas' title hopes. (College Basketball).
March 10, 2003... Two fluke plays cost Kansas its pursuit of a national championship. This game can be like that sometimes, but usually its capricious nature is manifested in Christian Laettner landing a buzzer-beating jump shot or Danny Ainge dusting off five...

Player of the week. (College Basketball).
March 10, 2003... Carmelo Anthony, F, Syracuse If the first thing you think of when considering Carmelo Anthony is that he won't be a college player for long, you're missing an important point. Anthony is making more of an impact in his first season at...

Under .500 and dancing. (Coach's Court).
March 10, 2003... With the regular season coming down the stretch, all the elements that determine NCAA at-large berths receive extra scrutiny. And one of the most hotly debated topics every season is whether teams under .500 in conference play are deserving of...

People, get ready. (NHL).
March 10, 2003... The moment Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin lifts the Stanley Cup into the air, the Canada you thought you knew will disappear forever. From that moment on, Canadians will be known as giddy. When people run over our feet with golf carts, we...

Dealing with the trade. (Straight Shooter).
March 10, 2003... For any guy who is traded to your club, there is an adjustment. He is in new surroundings, new systems, around new faces. He needs to get acclimated. At the same time, it's difficult for the guys on the team because they need to find out a...

Niko Kapanen, C, Stars. (Scouting Report).(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... 5-9, 180 Age: 24 Kapanen was the Stars' sixth-round pick, 173rd overall in 1998. This season, as a rookie, he has been a key member of a successful team and should be considered a Calder Trophy (top rookie) contender. He leads all rookies...

How do you feel? (TSNumber 1).(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... You're one of the highest-paid players in the world. Expectations for you skyrocketed when you were traded from a small-market team to a larger-market team. Last season, your first with your new team, you proved many of the naysayers wrong by...